Change Is Inevitable
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Nothing ever stays the same. Life had been changing quite a bit for the Samurai Rangers. Are they all ready to handle what life throws at them? Oneshot following Way of the Samurai.


Her breaths were even with the tide. As the water rose up the shore and touched her toes, her chest rose, taking in the ocean air. When the waves were pulled back into the ocean, her chest fell slowly. She stared out at the water as the sun set on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, but she wasn't here to watch the sunset. Her gaze was fixed on the blue water.

The waves had long since erased her footprints from the sand and she hadn't moved, even an inch. Her feet were almost completely buried in the cool sand and the water continued to rise and sink them further into the ground.

It had been a while since the duel with Dekker. In that time the Rangers had gotten back into the swing of things. They still hadn't seen any sign of Arachnitor, the Nighlok who had challenged and defeated them back at the Tengen Gate so long ago, but Master Xandred had sent out a few Nighlok in the past few weeks. None worth mentioning. They had all put up a fight, but even without the Black Box, which was giving Antonio a hard time now that it was so close to being complete, the Nighlok were no match for the strength of the six Rangers. Together, they would be able to defeat anything.

Things were starting to change fast in the Shiba House. The relationships were different; her room was different, even training felt different, though it was the same routine over and over again. She knew she was growing up, and that change was to be expected, but she never thought she would miss her old life so much. Back when things were easy. Back when she always had a shoulder to cry on, or friends to lean on. She knew her friends and family would always be by her side, but like her, they were growing.

Serena was gone. Emily missed her sister dearly and it was hard not knowing when she would be back. Her duty as Guardian of the Tengen Gate was just as important as Emily's duty as a Samurai Ranger, but that didn't stop Emily from wishing her sister would jump on a plane and fly home. Serena kept her promise and called once a week to check up on Emily and the team, but it just didn't feel the same. Conversations on the phone were different. She wanted her sister back in her life.

Her relationship with Mike couldn't get any better, though Emily sometimes found herself wishing she could go back to the start; before things got so complicated. She loved what she had with Mike and would never trade it in for anything else, especially if it meant losing what she had with him, but back when they first started dating things were so simple. Cuddles, dates and innocent flirting. Now it was a commitment and a promise to fight as hard as she could to keep the relationship alive. Sometimes, it was draining and she needed to take a step back and breathe. Those were the times she wished Serena was home so she could ask her sister for advice, but that wasn't possible, and it was just weird telling her sister her deepest feelings over the phone.

She knew she had Mia, if she ever truly needed a big sister, but ever since Mia and Kevin got engaged, things changed so much that Emily felt nervous around Mia. It almost felt like she was interrupting a moment that the two would never get back. She didn't want to do that. She wanted her sister to be happy with the man she loved. Mia did everything for Emily, always putting the yellow Ranger first, even if it pushed her own wants and needs into the background. Emily felt like she owed Mia a little more time to herself.

Staring out at the water, Emily couldn't keep her thoughts from straying to Urumasa. Several times over the course of the almost-month she found herself wondering what happened to the sword. It couldn't have just sunk to the bottom of the ocean. There was no way a sword as powerful as Urumasa would just sit on the ocean floor and wait to be discovered centuries later. Emily knew it had to make a comeback and she was wondering what would happen when it did. Would it find Dekker? Would it choose another unfortunate soul? Would it choose Jayden? Or Serena?

She heard footsteps in the sand and didn't bother turning around. She had left the Shiba house hours ago and wasn't surprised her friends had started looking for her. She assumed it was Mike walking down the beach to come and talk her into coming home. He always seemed to know where she was and he always had a way of cheering her up. Right now, though, as much as she hoped he could cheer her up, she didn't want to see him.

A soft, warm and gentle pair of arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders and Emily saw a trace of pink on the sleeve. A small smile graced her lips when she realised it wasn't Mike who had found her, but Mia. Then, she remembered what normally happened when Mia was around. Kevin was usually with her.

"Enjoying the sunset?" Mia asked the yellow Ranger. Emily nodded her head slowly.

"I guess. It's not why I'm out here, though."

"Then you wouldn't mind coming home?" Mia gently squeezed her little sister, "Everyone's starting to worry. Mike thought you would be at the park and went to walk Scruffy to see if he could find you, but he didn't. I told him I'd look around for a bit."

"You found me," Emily shrugged. She looked at the horizon. "Just in time for the sunset, too. You and Kevin have perfect timing."

"Kevin?" Mia frowned. "Kevin's not here. Why would you say that?"

Emily furrowed her brow and turned around in her sister's arms. She was very surprised to see Mia had come alone. No Kevin, no Mike, no Jayden, no Antonio and no Mentor. It was just Mia. Emily smiled as she looked up at her big sister and wrapped her arms around Mia's neck. Mia was a little surprised by the reaction, but returned the gesture.

"Okay, I love you too, Emy," she laughed as Emily let go. "Not that I don't like your spontaneous hug attacks, but what was that for?"

"I missed this," Emily answered. "We don't share a room anymore. It's never just you and me. Kevin's usually around and if he isn't Mike's always nearby."

"Things are different," Mia nodded. She knew what Emily was getting at. She felt the shift too. It was an amazing feeling, but, like Emily, there were times when she longed for the past. Simplicity was no longer a luxury she could afford all the time. She smiled at her little sister and poked her nose, "but nothing's going to change us. Growing up doesn't mean life has to change completely. We're all still a family and nothing's going to change that."

"I know," Emily smiled. She looked down at the sand and wiggled her toes free just before the water splashed the sand back up again, covering her feet. She giggled. "It's cold."

"Then get out of the water," Mia shook her head. "The sun setting, it's only going to get colder."

"I can't leave," Emily muttered. She turned back to the ocean, "It's in there."

"Huh?"

Emily pointed out to the water, "It's because of Urumasa."

"Dekker's sword? What does that have to do with anything? You saw Serena throwing it away."

"But it's not gone," Emily sighed. "I don't like Dekker, but he did all this. He brought us all closer together. He scared us into this family by putting us all in danger and forcing us to realise what's really important. Now that we know, we can't ever go back to easy and simple… you know."

"Not really," Mia shook her head.

Emily looked up at the pink Ranger, "Do you think Kevin would have had the guts to ask you to marry him if he wasn't scared of losing you? It would have taken longer. But thanks to Dekker and Urumasa, you were kidnapped and Kevin figured it all out."

"Now I'm starting to get it," Mia nodded. She wrapped her arms around Emily again and sighed as she leaned against her little sister and stared out at the water. "Look, Emy, Dekker's going to change, I know it. Next time we see him, he's not going to be the person we once knew. He might even look completely different. As for Urumasa, the sword's gone. It's swimming with the fishes, never to be found again."

"But it's Urumasa," Emily said. "It cut through stone, it healed my sister, it gave Dekker immortality and took so many lives… it wouldn't just sink."

"So, it floated away."

"Do you think it's ever coming back?"

Mia kissed Emily's cheek, "_If_ it ever comes back, we'll be ready for it," she promised. "We'll fight with or against it as a team. It may be the most powerful sword in existence, but the fact that we're still standing here proves that there's something more powerful than it. Not even Dekker could tear us apart. What does that tell you?"

Emily wiggled her toes in the sand again, "The water's still cold."

Mia chuckled and shook her head, "How about you stop worrying and come home with me? I think I've finally got the hang of making hot chocolate. If you don't mind being my first victim, I'll make you a cup and we'll both warm up."

"Only if there are mini marshmallows," Emily giggled. "I won't drink hot chocolate without mini marshmallows."

"I think we still have some," Mia nodded and started to make her way up the beach. She grabbed Emily's shoes from the sand and heard the water splashing as Emily played around for a moment.

"Yellow ones?" the young Samurai asked. Mia shrugged.

"I think you ate most of the yellow ones last time," she said. "There's a handful of pink and green ones, though. Think you'll live with those colours for tonight?"

Emily nodded, "As long as you don't mess up the hot chocolate, I guess I can ignore the lack of yellow."

Mia rolled her eyes and held out Emily's shoes for the yellow Ranger to take, "You're such a dork."

Emily sat in the sand and pulled her socks out of her shoes. She flashed Mia a smile as she put the socks, then her shoes, on her feet. When she looked up, she saw Mia was holding out a hand. She took it, letting Mia help her back up.

"You mean that in a good way, right?" she asked Mia. "I'm the good kind of dork, right?"

"A-dork-able," Mia nodded. Emily smiled brightly and jumped on the pink Ranger's back. She hugged her older sister.

"Piggy-back."

Mia sighed, but there was a small smile on her lips. She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms under Emily, holding the small Samurai up on her back.

"Well, one thing's for sure. You haven't changed much."

"Never going to," Emily stated proudly. "Why would I? I like not having to walk home."

"You're lucky you're light," Mia said.

"You're lucky it's a five minute walk back home," Emily chuckled. She rested her head on Mia's shoulder, "Wake me up when there's hot chocolate."

"Or I'll drop you in the ocean," Mia teased.

"Then I'll bring back Urumasa and you'll be my first victim."

Mia laughed, "Yeah, right. That's a good one, Emy. You evil?"

"It could happen!"

"Never."

"Yes!"

"Nope."

"Give me one good reason why not?"

"You were mad at Antonio last week for accidentally stepping on that ant hill, remember?" Mia smirked. "Then, when he had ants crawling up his legs, you were the first to help him. When he got the ants out of his pants, you rebuilt the hill because you felt bad for the bugs that had probably already forgotten about their first home."

"So?"

"Pillow fights are deadlier than you, Emy," Mia laughed as she reached the Shiba house and set her little sister down on the door step. "Go let everyone know you're safe and sound while I make the hot chocolate, okay?"

"Don't screw it up!" Emily teased.

"Just get inside!" Mia shoved her little sister through the door with a laugh.


End file.
